Trolley-covering for electric railways



No. 441,764. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES ATENT fFFicE.

HIRAM JONES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TROLLEY -COVERING FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,764, dated December2, 1890. Application filed september 13, 1390. Serial No. 364,894. (N 0model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IIIRAM JONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented acertain new and useful Improvement in 'lrolley-Coverings for ElectricRailways; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing my trolley-covering insection.

Heretofore in electric-railway constructions, and especially where aground or underground trolley is employed, great difficulty has beenexperienced in preventing rain, snow, or ice from accumulating upon thetrolley, thereby at this point of accumulation interrupting the circuitthrough the motor. So, also, even where fairly protected, difficulty hasbeen experieneed,clue to water collecting about the trolley-rail,whereby the circuit has been grounded. Again, where ground trolley-railshave been employed, they have been a source of great danger to personsand animals coming into contact with them.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a covering for atrolley-rail, and a trolley adapted to operate in connection with therail without disturbing the said covering, the covering servingsimultaneously to shield the rail from snow or rain, and likewise topreserve dry the timbers or other supports upon which the trolley-railis laid.

My invention is designed for all kinds of trolley-rails where they aresubjected to the foregoing difficulties, but is more particularlydesigned for use in connection with elevated electric railways, orrailways in which the trolley-rail is laid above the usual cross-ties.

To this end A represents the usual crossties of a railway. B may, in theease of an elevated railway, represent longitudinal girders.

C represents the trolley-rail, which maybe laid upon the ties direct,but which I prefer to lay upon an independent longitudinal girder D, inorder that it may be raised above the level of the ties, and for thefurther reason that it affords a much better insulation for the rails.So, also, instead of laying the rail upon a longitudinal girder, itmight be located on blocks D, located at intervals upon. the ties. Bothforms are shown in Fig. 1, and both accomplish the same purpose ofsupporting a rail clear from the ties and affording means for thoroughlyinsulating it.

E represents my trolley-covering, lt consists of frames or supports E,having imperforate top and side walls, and located at in tervals alongthe rail and fastened to the girders or blocks D or D. To these supportsis connected the shield, of any suitable material, preferably sheetmetal, formed in the manner substantially as shown, to cover the top ofthe rail and to comewell down upon both sides of the same to thoroughlyshield it from Water, snow, ice, &c., and forming, also, a perfectprevention against contact with falling telegraph, telephone, or otherwires, as well as a safeguard against persons or animals coming intocontact with the said electric circuit. This trolley-covering E may bemade, if desired, in sections, so that one section will slip past theadjacent section, as shown at e, thus greatly facilitating theconstruction of the work and readiness with which repairs may be made,since the removal of any section is readily accomplished and access hadat that point to the trolley-rail.

The trolley-support may be of any usual character. No special support isshown in the drawings.

F represents a suitable sup port of this character. It is curved at f soas to reach in beneath the covering E, and is then carried up,

as shown at f, and provided with the usual trolley-wheel f By soconstructing it the wheel can be maintained in contact with thetrolley-rail without coming into contact with the covering.

C represents any suitable insulating material, Which may or may not beemployed between the rail and the girder or blocks D D. If said blocksor girder are of dry wood, such an insulation might not be required; butif required I would locate the same as shown,

and I would also provide sections of rubber hose or equivalent washersof rubber, vitreous fiber, or other insulating material, as shown at Cthrough which the track-spikes or retaining-bolts might be passed andinsulated from the rail.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination, in an electric railway, of anelectrical-conducting rail located above the ties for the travel of atrolley-wheel, and a shield having imperforate top and side walls andsupported over and continuously covering the rail, said side wallsextending down past the rail at opposite sides thereof, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail locatedabove the ties and preferably between the tracks, and a trolley-coveringconsisting of sections E, of sheet metal or equivalent, said sectionslapping past each other at e and having imperforate top and side walls,the said side walls depending past the rail at opposite sides thereof,substantially as and for the purposes de scribed.

3. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail locatedabove the ties and preferably between the tracks, a cover E, of sheetmetal or equivalent, extending over the said rail and having its sidewalls depending past the rail at opposite sides thereof, and a trolleyF, curved at f to pass beneath the edge of the cover and provided withan upwardly-projecting supporting-arm f, and a trolley-wheel or contactresting upon the rail beneath the cover, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail locatedabove the ties and preferably between the tracks, a supporting medium onthe ties for sustaining the rail D D, and a covering E, supported atintervals and having imperforate top and side walls, said side wallsdepending past the rail at opposite sides thereof,substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with an electric railway, of a trolley-rail locatedabove the ties IIIRAM JONES. lVitnesses:

M. A. REEvn, W. W. Lnocn'rr.

